Fresh Rubs and Scrapes ?

[Timbrhuntr]

Reading longbow joes post about moving his blind to fresh rub got me thinking. Has anyone every had success over a fresh one time scrape or rub? I'm not talking about the rub on the same route you see every year and you just wait for him to refreshen it but new rub or srcrape that you come upon while scouting. I'll give an example. I arrived in Michigan to hunt and walked a secluded path to a spot. I saw no evidence of any activity. The next day I walked that same path and about every 20 yards there was a fresh scrape and the tree or bushes were rubbed and broken. I sat on that scrape line for 4 days and never saw a deer and nothing appeared to touch those scrapes or freshen them. I believe he was just a little randy and went nuts along the path as he was going through and will probably never return to them. I have had this happen before what do you think is it better to find this sign and hunt it or just set up where the does are and hope to catch one going into heat lol On a side note an area of bush that I walk my dog everyday no hunting has several deer. I see deer but just normal stuff well the last 2 days I have seen 4 different bucks in daylight running 2 does all around the bush has just lit up. I wish one of the does hanging around where I hunt would do that soon.

Oh and good luck on your fresh rubs Joe hope you prove my observations wrong !!

[artifact]

From what I have encountered over the years there are primary scrapes and secondary ones, find a primary scrape and you should be in business.
Basically when we hunted Maine, find the doe and the buck will be there eventually, always good to find multiple scrapes and rubs in an area, just hope it's not all night sign.

[xcaliber]

I love seeing fresh sign, but rarely hunt over it. I try to find trails that link the sign from food to cover, and then plan my position based on the wind. I have found the heavily worn saddles at water crossings can be much more productive than hunting rubs & scrapes if those saddles lead to, or from feeding areas. I think most scrapes & rubs are visited at night once the area has any pressure. I don't mean to say I completely discount them by no means, but I hunt the whole area rather than a small spot based on that sign. All of that said, if my particular spot is totally devoid of this sign, I will move to an area that has fresh sign, even fresh droppings!

[ko4nrbs]

It’s been my experience that rubs and scrapes are good indicators of deer’s presence but don’t base your hunting plan solely on them. I take them to mean the bucks and does are communicating but could be far away from the rubs and scrapes. I use them to help me identify and map travel routes. Find areas along the travel routes that lead to feeding and bedding areas is your best bet.

Now this works in my area so it’s just what I have observed.

Bill

[Timbrhuntr]

Thanks for the replies. Kinda like I am thinking the fesh stuff isn't the best indicator lol
Where I hunt at home there is only one main rub line that is active all year but camera work tells me its mostly at night.

[longbow joe]

I actually agree with you in a nutshell it's all just signs that your in the right neighborhood.
I mentioned earlier about my giant scrape l hunt every year that appears every October.
I witnessed 6 different bucks coming in to it in daylight hours l just chose not to shoot any of them the biggest was a huge mature 6 point that l would not be happy with .
This spot receives no pressure from anyone that's a very very important factor for daylight activity at a scrape.
This week l saw one of my target bucks 3 miles from where he was in the summer and fall chasing a doe just by chance driving along .
I sure hope he comes back to his old woods because hes a definite shooter a super high 9 pointer with palmation that looks like webbed feet.
I loose sleep over him.
Often after the main rut l tend to see oddball bucks from other areas that are searching for does that l will never see again .lm hoping to see some one elses giant because mine isnt here.

[Timbrhuntr]

Thats one of the things I don't get. I have two big deer one a ten the other an 8 that hang around all year I know its their core area. But in the prime rut they disappear. And the kicker is I have a trail cam on a travel area and get pics of all kinds of bucks I never saw before and will never see again. You would think it would be the other way around.

[longbow joe]

Yep if you had it all figured out it would not be fun.
I think how it's funny these guys always have a theory of how their setup or scent brought the big buck in. ....ln reality dumb luck brought the thing in. Sometimes you just need dumb luck just being out here is good you cant get one at home.
One time I was driving home thru the jersy pinelands after a friend took me sea duck hunting.
I was single and no need to be home so l elected to try a bow hunt in the crappy state land .l climbed up a random tree and had a 150 inch ten pointer in about 20 minutes......just dumb luck....l need some this year!